Watch | Ravichandran Ashwin gets a special memento, guard of honour on his 100th Test match
Ashwin was joined by his wife Priya and children for the momentous occasion, where he addressed all the Indian players and presented the debut cap to Devdutt Paddikal. Ashwin also received a special memento in the form of a 100th Test cap from India coach Rahul Dravid in front of the team and his family. The veteran spinner was also given a guard of honour on his way to the field for the start of the 5th Test against England.
Ashwin has joined the prestigious list of players who have played 100 Tests or more for India. The list includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and Cheteshwar Pujara. The off-spinner made his India debut against the West Indies in 2011 and has been a mainstay of the Indian bowling attack ever since.
Ashwin has taken 507 wickets in 99 Tests at a strike rate of 53.9 and an average of 26.5. Ashwin will have a chance to join the ranks of veterans like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralidharan by taking a fifer in his 100th Test match. Notably, Ashwin had taken his first five-wicket haul against West Indies in his debut match and it would be a tremendous feat if he could take another fifer in his 100th Test match.
Apart from Ravichandran Ashwin, England's Jonny Bairstow is also playing his 100th Test match for England. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar while praising the achievements of both the players in a post on X said, “It's a historic day in Dharamsala as @ashwinravi99 and @jbairstow21 don the international whites for the 100th time. An incredible achievement that speaks volumes about their passion and perseverance for red-ball cricket.
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